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(No Model.)

H.HAPKER.

FIFTH WHEEL. I No. 363,134 Patented May 17, 1887.

JTZZNTOR J ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, Phowmhn n hur, Wnihinglun, \ILCv ,ihsirnn Srarns PATENT tries.

HENRY HAFKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPE CIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110,363,134, dated M'ay 1'7, 1887.

' Application filed February 8, 1887. Serial No. 226,941. (No model.)

To (l/ZZ whom 2'25 may concern: 7

Be it known that l, HENRY Hansen, of the city, county, and State of New York. have invented a new and Improved Filth-\Vheel, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to fifth-wheels forming parts of vehicle runninggear, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and durable fifth-wheel device adapted to new or old vehicles and assuring the easy working of the running-gear when turning the vehicle in any direction The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts of the fifth-wheel, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed. Y

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figurel is a crossscctional elevation of my improved fifth-wheel and a front view of parts of the headbloek and hounds of a vehicle running-gear to which it is applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fifth-wheel and parts of the hounds,with the upper or head-block bearingplate partly broken away; and Fig. 3 isaperspective view of portion of a fifth-wheel,showing a modified construction.

The fifth-wheel consists of a central annular bearer or plate, A, in the web of which antifriction rollers B are journaled,and upper and lower plates, 0 D, fitted loosely in recesses e (Z in the upper and lower faces of the plate A and bearing on the rollers. The l1ead-bloclr E of the vehicle running-gear is to be secured by bolts, screws, or clips to the upper ringplate, 0, and the hounds F of the running-gear .will be secured in any approved way to the lower ring-plate, I), as will be understood from the drawings.

In a preferred form of the fifth-wheel the plate or bearer A is divided horizontally through its web to form the two parts a a", joined or fitted together in horizontal plane about at the center of the plate, and provided with recesses, which, when the parts a a are placed together and fastened to each other by screws G, or otherwise, form bearings at a for the journals b of the anti-friction rollers B,

said journals being cast with or fixed to the rollers; but the plate or bearer A may be made in one piece with upper and lower recesses, c d, to accommodate the ring-plates O D,and the web of the plate is provided with slots to receive the rollers B, which will be held by axlepins 0, passed through them and the web, as will be understood from Fig. 3 of the drawlugs.

The rollers B project at their peripheries into the recesses c d of the plate A, and hold the upper and lower ring-plates, O D, clear of the bases of the recesses; hence either or both of these plates 0 D may have the greatest freedom of movement and with very little friction, as the running gear of a vehicle assumes various positions in turning the vehicle in any direction. Furthermore, the entire device is very simple, strong,aud durable, and the main or body portion A of the wheel having the rollers 13 may be fitted to head-block and hounds plates, as GD,of old vehicles orofnew vehicles built in the ordinary way. the only change necessary being the use of a longer king-bolt to hold the parts together.

The drawings show four of the anti-friction rollers B fitted to the bearer or plate A; but three or more than four of the rollers may be used, depending on the size of the fifth-wheel or the work required of the vehicle to which it is to be fitted as will readilybe understood.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fiftlrwheel for vehicles, an annular bearer or plate having upper and lower recesses separated by a web to receive the headblock and hounds ring-plates, combined with anti-friction rollers journaled in the web and projecting at their peripheries through the web into the ring-plate recesses, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a fifth-wheelfor vehicles, an annular bearer or plate, A, divided horizontallythrough its central web to form upper and lower parts, a a provided in their adjacent faces with opposing recesses, which together form bearings a, and said parts a a provided respectively, with recesses c (1, adapted to receive the headbloclr and hounds ring plates of a running gear, in combination with antifriction rollers IOO B, havingjournals b fitting the recesses 01, and said rollers projecting at their peripheries through the web-sections into the recesses c d, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a fifth-wheel for vehicles, of an annular bearer-plate, A, having upper and lower face recesses, c d, separated by a central web, anti-friction rollers 13, journaled in the web and projecting at their peripheries therethrough into said recesses, and r0 ring-plates O D, fitted in the recesses 0 d, to bear on the rollers and adapted for attachment to a vehicle running gear, substantially as shown and described.

HENRY HAFKER. Witnesses:

HENRY L. Goonwm, EDGAR TATE. 

